Open Source
Headscale
by juanfont
An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server
Our verdict
We have not reviewed Headscale yet
No one at Enterprise DNA has checked this listing against its sources. The description comes from public listings gathered automatically. Any fact below shows where it came from and when it was last checked.
From the listing
About Headscale
An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server
Best for
Developers and sysadmins who want a self-hosted, open source alternative to Tailscale's control plane.
Use cases
- Deploy a private VPN mesh for a small team or homelab
- Replace Tailscale's control plane with a self-hosted alternative
- Manage access to internal services across distributed devices
Notes
45,166 stars on GitHub. Last updated 2026-10-29. Licensed BSD-3-Clause.
Indexed from swap-build. Verified against the live GitHub repo.
Pros
- Full control over your coordination server and data
- Active open source project with a large community (44k+ stars)
- Works with the standard Tailscale client
Cons
- Requires self-hosting and ongoing maintenance
- May lack some advanced features of the hosted Tailscale service
- Setup and configuration are more complex than using a managed service
Key facts
What we have checked
- Latest version
- 0.29.7 (released 30 Oct 2026)
- Days since the last commit
- 0
- GitHub forks
- 2,630
- GitHub stars
- 45,421
- Days to a first reply on issues
- 1.7
- Open issues
- 59
- Releases in the last 90 days
- 4
Each value shows when we last confirmed it and where it came from. Values we have not confirmed are left out, never guessed.
Stars and usage
How Headscale is growing
45,225 to 45,421
Health and security
Is Headscale looked after, and what do its setup files show
Health score
81 out of 100
| Part | Points | What we saw |
|---|---|---|
| Recent activity | 30 of 30 | Last push 0 days ago |
| Releases | 15 of 15 | 4 releases in 90 days |
| Issue replies | 20 of 20 | First reply in 1.7 days (median) |
| Maintainer | 0 of 15 | Owned by a single user |
| Official source | Not counted | MCP servers only |
Alternatives
Alternatives to Headscale
| Record | Type | How we know | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Zero TrustThis is an alternative to it | Product | Linked recordGitHub |
Compare
Compare Headscale side by side
Sources
Where this comes from
A source shows what was published when we checked it. It does not certify security, performance or a working installation. Read our method.
Changelog
What changed
Released 0.29.7
Released 0.29.6
Released 0.29.5
Released 0.29.4
Released 0.29.3
Released 0.29.2
Released 0.29.1
Released 0.29.0
Released 0.29.0-beta.4
Released 0.29.0-beta.3
Released 0.29.0-beta.2
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